you don't need a frame as such.
This is why you
can lay the cloth out on the deck & paint on a watered down base colour.
over the whole cloth. If you can lift it just before it drys & dead hang it.
This stops it sticking to the deck & makes it easier to clean floor.
I
assume you are to fly the drop?
If it has not been prepared for the fly
barrel [pipe] it is a good idea to do so.
With calico/muslin you can get away
with 2 part epoxy glue, instead of sewing the calico.
with the head of the
cloth, grab some burlap webbing strip, used in lounge furniute & chair
making. Glue the strip to the head across the top edge of the cloth. Grab an
eyelet kit for a hardware DIY shop, with an aplicator in the kit.
put the
eyelets thru the head strip & calico drop. At about 1/2 metre apart, work it
out as evenly as possible, starting with one at the cloth centre and at the extreme out edges at each end, then
set the others at similar incriments each centre to centre apart.
With the tail
batten pocket, it is only a fold to accomodate more than the dia of the tail
batten [pipe], if you can manage it glue an extra fold as a tail skirt to the
pocket fold. To cover any lumps or bumps in the stage deck, when it is in at
it's bottom dead.
Also a clue is to pop an eyelet at end just above the tail
pocket. This will accomodate a a cord to tie off onto a sand bag at each end of
the tail batten. The sand bags are thereto keep the batten pocket stretched to it's
limit & stop the tail batten floating around on stage. Of course the weight
bags are only used when the cloth drops in & removed prior to it being flown
out. with head & tail preperations in place, after the cloth has had it's
base coat &/or image painted, It can be set up on the fly barrel [bar/pipe],
with tail pipe to dry.
You can use cotton cord or rope ties on each of the
head eyelets or reuseable plastic electrical ties. With the rope/cord ties
ensure they are long enough to go around the batten & tie off in a double
bow knot [sme you use to tie shoes up]. Fold the tie in half & put the half
folded bend thru the eyelet, then pass the two tail ends of the cord thru the
folded bend. protruding thru the eyelet. Then pulled tight, this is known as a
'Larks head' or 'girth' knot.
a clue is do the larks head the same way right
across the head strip, it will hang the cloth better & evenly.
At the
centre eyelet choose a different colour of cord/rope for the cloths centre
eyelet, this will make it easier during bump/in to load up the fly batten from
it's centre, so the cloth fly's centre on the stage. It also helps with folding
up the cloth &/or unpacking. Furth it is an idea to mark on the webbing
strip the size & type of image, that helps when storing it.
If you have
jioned the muslin cloth widths to gether to make a larger cloth, it is better to
have the jioning seam panels running lateraly across the finished cloth, rather
than up & down when it's hanging.
the seams sewn or glued will pucker
with the cloths weight pulling down the length of the panel. Where with jion
across there is less cloth weight between the seams & applied evenly. So go
across stage with the panels, rather than Up & down.
Also the seam can be
hiden with the panted image as horizon or what ever.
with holdon to stretch
the cloth on the sides & reduce the hour glass look. You can make them
yourselves out of scrap ply or purchase the newer plastic holdon's available;-
http://www.balancedtech.com.au/holdon/holdon.htm - http://www.balancedtech.com.au/holdon/holdon.htm